Days after banning Wikipedia, Turkey disinvites founder from Istanbul expo

Istanbul municipality has cancelled Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales’s invitation to World Cities Expo, scheduled to take place between May 15 and 18.

Access to Wikipedia was blocked in Turkey as a result of “a provisional administrative order” imposed by the Turkish Telecommunications Authority (BTK), on Apr 29. A subsequent court order secured the blockage over alleged threat against “national security and public order.”

“Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales was disinvited from the ‘World Cities Expo Event’ and the decision has been communicated to himself. Respectfully announced to the public,” a statement by the municipality said on Tuesday.